The Joint Legislative Committee on the budget approved a 20% pay raise for state troopers. The original request from Col. Mike Edmonson was for a 30% increase but the measure was amended down to reduce the cost from about $14 million to about $10 million. Opelousas Senator Elbert Guillory says this is an easy item to support…

cut 3 (05) “of Louisiana”

But Benton Senator Robert Adley, who voted against the measure, says it’s against the law to give troopers money out of the designated fund until the dollars are appropriated by the legislature. But Edmonson says that is not accurate…

cut 6 (10) “be honest with these people”

The vote from the House side was 24-5 and the Senate side 13-3. This will be the first pay raise for Louisiana State troopers since 2002.

The four announced candidates for governor met in Baton Rouge today to discuss ways Louisiana can have a better highway system. The idea of raising the gasoline tax was not discussed, but republican Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle says he would look into toll roads if elected…

cut 13 (12) “the traffic”

The lone democrat in the race, Amite representative Jon Bel Edwards, says tolls are not feasible, because of congestion on major highways. Republican candidates Senator David Vitter and Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne also participated.

Minden Representative Gene Reynolds says the EPA has agreed to delay the open tray burn of the M6 propellant at Camp Minden for at least 90 days. He says this is “half time” and now is not the time to let up because the town hasn’t won yet…:

cut 9 (06) “that would be great”

Reynolds says there will now be more meetings and further discussions on the way this 15 million pounds of M6 should be disposed of in a way that does not harm the environment.